Supermarkets
Supermarkets examines the strategies, performance, and operational challenges facing the UK grocery retail sector. This section reports on trading results, pricing strategy, supply chain management, sustainability initiatives, and consumer trends influencing supermarket performance. Retail Sector’s Supermarkets coverage provides analysis and insight for retail leaders, buyers, and suppliers, exploring how competition, regulation, and innovation are shaping profitability and long-term growth across the grocery landscape.
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Sep- 2022 -21 September
Ocado shares drop amid HSBC downgrade
Ocado Retail Ltd shares dropped on Tuesday (20 September) after analysts at HSBC downgraded the retailer’s rating from ‘hold’ to ‘reduce’, according to City A.M. The lowered rating has sent Ocado’s share price down by over 7%, and this comes after Ocado lowered its FY22 outlook in a trading update…
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14 September
Sainsbury’s staff to see pay increase amid £25m support package
Sainsbury’s has unveiled a £25m cost-of-living support package for hourly paid employees to help support them with rising household costs, £20m of which will go towards a pay increase. Employees will receive an Autumn pay increase outside of their annual pay review, in what the group called an “unprecedented” step…
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13 September
John Lewis, Primark, Aldi to shut stores all day for Queen’s funeral
A number of retailers have confirmed they will shut all of their stores on the day of Queen’s funeral on 19 September as a mark of respect. Retailers including John Lewis, Homebase, WH Smith, B&Q, Primark, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Argos, Ikea, Poundland and grocers Aldi and Sainsbury’s will shut all of…
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13 September
Aldi becomes Britain’s fourth largest supermarket as inflation hits
For the first time ever, Aldi has become Britain’s fourth largest supermarket, as discount grocers continue to benefit from customers who are managing their budgets amid rising inflation. According to new figures from Kantar, Aldi’s sales rose by 18.7% over the 12 weeks to 4 September 2022, reaching a 9.3%…
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13 September
Ocado lowers outlook as customers cut back
Ocado Retail Ltd has lowered its outlook for FY22 as revenue growth in Q4 is not expected to generate full-year growth year-on-year as customers are buying smaller baskets and trading down in response to inflationary pressures. The group now expects to see a small sales decline in FY22 and close…
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9 September
CMA deems Morrisons’ takeover of McColl’s ‘would not harm shoppers’
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found competition concerns in only a small number of local areas after launching an investigation into Morrisons’ completed purchase of McColl’s, following the submission of the supermarket’s £190m deal for review. The authority said that overall, the deal “would not harm” the vast…
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5 September
Waitrose admits to contract clauses which blocked rivals from opening stores
Waitrose has admitted to signing land agreements which included clauses that prevented rival supermarkets from setting up new stores near its own sites, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found. Waitrose has admitted to a total of seven breaches of the Groceries Market Investigation (Controlled Land) Order 2010 between…
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5 September
Iceland boss halts store openings amid cost-of-living crisis
Iceland has reportedly contacted No 10 directly with a plea to prepare an “immediate and radical” cost-of-living package, according to The Guardian, as the retailer has been forced to stall the openings of new stores in light of the rise in energy costs. The news comes as the proportion of…
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2 September
EG Group profits hit by cost-of-living crisis in Q2
The Issa brothers-owned EG Group has seen its profits slump in Q2, as earnings fell by 6.5% to $355m (£307m) year-on-year amid “ongoing inflationary and cost of living pressures on customer behaviour”. Despite this, total revenues were up by 18.4% to $7.9bn (£6.8bn) on a like-by-like basis. The uptick in…
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2 September
Motatos raises €38m to fund UK expansion
Discount supermarket Motatos has announced it has raised €38m (£33m) through a new share issue to existing shareholders. The financing round was jointly led by Exor Capital and the company’s largest owner, SEB Private Equity. The new funds will be used to accelerate growth in Motatos’ key markets of Germany…
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